This invention relates generally to toxicant sensors, and more particularly to toxicant sensors which utilize living organisms.
Typically, toxicity measurements are based on the percentage of mortalities of a population of organisms resulting from exposure to a given concentration of test compound. Alterations in growth rate are also studied, and the length of the test generally is determined by the time required for measurable growth to take place. This time could range from hours to days and would require measurement of biomass or cell numbers.
Another technique for measuring and detecting toxicants involves the use of luminescent organisms such as the marine dinoflagellates. Here, the light intensity given off by such organisms changes according to ambient conditions. Thus, the above mentioned light intensity may be monitored to detect the presence of toxicants which could affect it.
These prior art designs are relatively bulky, require significant time to obtain measurable microorganism growth change, and in some cases require the use of exotic microorganisms.